Motives in Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon

The idea of complete independence and indifference to the surrounding world, symbolized by flying, stands as a prominent concept throughout Toni Morrison's emphatic novel Song of Solomon. However, the main character Milkman feels that this freedom lies beyond his reach; he cannot escape the demands of his family and feel fulfilled at the same time. As Milkman's best friend Guitar says through the novel, "Everybody wants a black man's life," a statement Milkman easily relates …

…parents reach far into the lives of the Dead family members; Milkman, unable to live any longer in an environment composed of animosity, drives him to leave his home and search for "his people." Serendipitously, although no single individual gains control of either Milkman's living or dead life, Milkman's need to escape from his collective family and surroundings unwittingly captures him and the life he so fervently aims to keep from the control of others.